Q: I have some questions about Pure
Attraction. First, can I make my plot even better by putting out even more seed
than you recommend? Second, the planting instructions say o lightly cover Pure
Attraction with loose soil. I thought that Imperial blends were NOT supposed to
be covered up. Am I wrong? Should I cultipack or drag my plot after putting out
my Pure Attraction seed?
A:
Seeding Rate. Great question! It’s one I hear a lot, and
the answer is, “probably not — it might even REDUCE the performance of your
planting!” Think about it — let’s consider just one square yard of plot. Within
that area, you only have one square yard of seedbed to sustain forage plants. That’s
all the room the plants you’ll be growing there will have in which to sprout,
grow, and become as healthy, vigorous, and as drought, heat and cold-tolerant
as they were designed to be. If you try to grow too many plants within that one
square yard of seedbed, the plant roots won’t have enough room to grow as big
as they otherwise might have. Smaller roots can result in LESS heat and drought
tolerance, and because smaller roots can inhibit the growth of the forage
plants, perhaps even LESS available forage. For optimum results, stick to the
recommended seeding rates as closely as you can. Our forage blends are very
efficient
B:
Cover Seeding Or Not. First, good job reading the
directions! They’re there for a reason. Think about it — we want the process of
planting our forage blends to be as simple as possible. That being the case,
you can understand that every step that we do put in our instructions is
critical. One of the most important steps is the one you noticed — whether or
not to cover Imperial seeds when you plant them. All Imperial blends except Pure
Attraction and Power Plant are designed to be broadcast spread and not covered
up. In contrast, our Pure Attraction blend should be LIGHTLY covered with about
¼ - ½ inch of loose soil. Again, the thin layer of soil that covers your Pure Attraction
seed should be left loose. Since a cultipacker would firm the soil, not leave
it loose, a weighted drag or a light, spike-tooth type harrow may be a better
choice for finishing the Pure Attraction plot after seeding, since a
cultipacker would pack the soil that covers the seed. In summary, once your
seedbed is prepared, fertilized and otherwise ready for your Pure Attraction seed,
smooth the seedbed with a drag, broadcast the Pure Attraction seed, and then
lightly drag, or harrow the seed with a light, spike-tooth harrow, just under
the surface about ¼ - ½ of an inch deep. Do not cultipack or otherwise firm the
soil once you have covered the seed.
